Loook Industries designs and develops products for public spaces and working environments that provide their users visual, auditory and social privacy and secure their property.
Working environment
A European working conditions survey indicates that today nearly one half of the labour force in the EU spends at least part of their working hours somewhere else than their actual place of work. Work is increasingly mobile, and instead of the office, it takes place in a variety of locations.
Open-plan offices are becoming more and more common. The transitions between individual work and teamwork are being simplified, resulting in new types of social interaction and new ways to communicate. The mobility and freedom people experience in open-plan offices usually comes at a high price. People’s need for privacy is easily ignored or forgotten.
Continuous noise and sudden movement contaminate these new types of working environments, and people have little or no control over how they interact with others.
According to a study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, noise can reduce the productivity of work by as much as 10%. This study also indicates that working while travelling also results in a very low efficiency.
People’s need for privacy can be seen in actions such as putting on headphones, or standing in a corner making phone calls, trying to isolate themselves.
People’s need to rest and relax at the workplace is also often forgotten.
Public Space
There is usually no expectation of privacy in a public space. That does not mean privacy is not wanted or needed. People have a strong sense of personal space and will for example often seat themselves as far away as possible from others already sitting in that space.
There are very limited possibilities to find a quiet and visually secluded private space for resting, relaxing or working in a public environment. Many public spaces have furniture intended for resting and relaxing, but these are often placed with spatial efficiency in mind rather than peoples need for privacy. The furniture does not provide enough protection from other people as well as from distracting elements such as noise.
Successful public spaces are places where people can find privacy whenever wanted and at the same time have the possibility to different types of social interaction. Successful public spaces are places where people can enjoy themselves.
Loook Industries designs products that can respond and adapt to the changing needs in these environments.
Loook Industries: 4 elements of privacy
Auditory
Loook Industries helps to dampen disruptive noise. It has been shown that noise can reduce your working efficiency significantly, or as much as by 10%! We would also like to give you a chance to make calls or have quick meetings without prying ears. It is also easier to relax in a quiet space.
Visual
Sudden movements in the working enviromment disrupt your concentration, and the screen of your laptop rarely contains information that you wish to share with every passer-by.
Social
Continuous interruptions and questions are a nuisance when you are trying to concentrate. This is why our product design features a possibility of indicating when you should not be disturbed.
Security
Your working area typically does not have a specific location for your bag, even though it contains your most important personal possessions. Loook’s products offer your property a specific protected / secure place.
Each Loook Industries product family features at least one of these privacy elements.
